Crate.



PATENTED APR. 14, 1908.

E. LEHMANN.

CRATE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14. 1907.

A. E. T

Z n o m n. m m mm e 7 0o L 1 fwm I.. l. .75@

wwwa/ooe 1HE Nnkms PETERS co., wAsmNcrcn. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL LEHMANN, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE P. DAILY, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA.

CRATE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Application led February 14, 1907. Serial No. 357,399.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL LEHMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hammond, in the county of Lake and State 0f Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crates, and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to crates for packing fruit, vegetables, etc., and has for its object to produce a crate that will possess great strength and will be able to successfully with stand the rough usage to which such articles are frequently subjected.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals indicate corresponding parts, Figure l is a side elevation of a crate embodyin" my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectiona view of the same; Fig. 3 is a top plan view; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the sides of the crate Fig. 5 is a broken perspective of one corner of the crate; Fig. 6 is a broken perspective view of a different form of the fastener.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, l indicates the slats of my improved crate, which may be formed from wood or other suitable material and of any desired length and size to adapt them for the use for which the crate is intended to be used. In the drawings, I have shown the crate as being substantially cubical, but it may be formed of any other dimension without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Instead of securing the slats together at the desired distance apart by means of wooden slats or end pieces, I use metallic strips 2, which are preferably folded longitudinally with the sides at such a distance apart that they will engage with the sides of the slats when said slats are placed therein.

The ends of the slats preferably rest against the bottom of the trough-like end piece, formed in this manner and are secured therein by means of nails or rivets 3. To further assist in holding the slats in their spaced position within the metallic end piece, and also to give further rigidity to said end pieces the edges 4 of the sides 5 of the end pieces are bent inward between the slats so as Ito be substantially in contact, thereby substantially closing the end pieces and forming shoulders 4,6, which engage with the edges of the slats and assist in holding them in position. The edges of the top and bottom slats may be further strengthened and protected by bending one or both of the side pieces over the edge of the slat and extending down far enough to be engaged by the fastener through the sides and the end of the slat. Or the ends ofthe sides may be folded over the edges of the slats so as to meet substantially in the middle.

As above described, the slats and end` pieces when secured together form a section which is invertible and reversible and possesses great rigidity and is capable of forming a portion of a crate. The other portions of the crate, as the remaining sides and the bottom, and top, if necessary, are formed in the same manner, and are adapted to be secured together in the ordinary manner, as by nailing them at the ends, but I prefer to secure the sides or walls of the crate together at their ends by means of L-shaped fasteners 7, preferably formed from strips of sheet ironbent at right angles and adapted to be placed one upon the inside and one upon the outside of each corner at each slat and especially at the top and bottom, and secured thereto, as by means of nails or rivets 8. Or the L-shaped fasteners can be made long enough to extend from the top to the bottom and take the place of the strips 2, as shown at 7 in Fig. 6, or be used in connection therewith.

In fastening the bottom section to the lower edges of the side sections, they can be fastened in any desired manner, but I prefer supplementing such fastener with fasteners 9, similar to fasteners 7. In securing the fasteners 9 in position, one of the bends is secured upon the under side of the metal end 2, under one of the slats, and the other bend is passed up inside of the lower slat upon that side of the crate and firmly secured thereto, as by means of a nail or fastener 10.

When a cover is used with the crate, it can be formed in the same manner as the other sections and can be secured to the top of the sides in any desired manner, but I have not freight for' shipping purposes, and they can be readily secured together intheir open or set-up position.

By making the sections in-vertible and reversible they can be secured together as ra idly as though they were formed from solid material, thereby greatly facilitating the making or setting up' of the crates.

When constructed in this manner, it will be found that the crate possesses great durability by reason of the protection and rigidity that is given to the slats by the metallic end pieces.

, Having described my invention, I claim 1. A crate composed of a plurality of invertible and reversible unitary sections, each comprising slats, metallic end members each having a channel to receive the ends of lthe slats, and means for spacing the slats.

2. A crate composed of a plurality of invertible and reversible unitary sections, each comprising spaced slats, and U-shaped end pieces secured over the ends of the slats, the edges of the sides of the pieces being bent inward between the slats to form shoulders, whereby the slats are spaced.

3. A crate composed of a plurality of invertible and reversible unitary sections, each formed from spaced slats and hollow metallic end pieces, substantially L -shaped strips of metal secured to each corner on the inside and outside, and fastening devices passing through the strips, the hollow metallic end pieces land the slats, said metallic end pieces being indented from each side on their inner edges to space the slats apart.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL LEHMANN.

Witnesses:

W. C. BEEMAN, DAVID T. EMERY. 

